Ridgewood September 19, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 Village moving forward on brook cleanup plan by John Koster High bids will not stop Ridgewood from tackling the problem of potential high water in the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook. Ridgewood Village Manager Ken Gabbert is now getting the cleanup program into gear despite a second round of excessive dredging and stream clearance bids. “We’re going to organize our facilities and set up a schedule and designate a point to start the work this week,” Gabbert said at press time. “We expect that some of the spots we encounter will be far less than we anticipated, and some others may be 10 times worse, but if we go seriously over budget we will just have to get back to the council for more bonding later on.” Village Manager Gabbert said that the fact that the lowest responsible bid came in at $683,000 while the cleanup is funded at $568,000 does not mean that the brook cleanup has stalled or will not be attempted. The village manager said he expects to have the work under way this week and will attempt to bring the most important parts of the cleanup, notably the log clutter at the bridges over the brook, in at the most reasonable cost. Ridgewood Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser said residents may have already removed some of the obstructions and said that it was at least possible that the job could be done with the money already budgeted. A substantial portion of the money for this project came from the United States Department of Agriculture, with the provision that work could not start until the trout breeding season has ended, because silt from the dredging might disrupt the fish. Ho-Ho-Kus Brook has flooded three times in recent history with serious implications. The 1999 flood during Tropical Storm Floyd wiped out the police station and the fungus and mold left behind -- along with the need for a functional police headquarters -- led to a massive reconstruction of Ridgewood Village Hall. In 2011, Hurricane Irene drowned out the ground floor of Village Hall again, and led to a decision to make the entire first floor a flood-resistant zone with masonry walls and drains instead of carpets. The reconstruction was substantially completed in August 2012, and the first floor is now used for public gatherings. No upholstered furniture or electronics are located in this area. Gabbert said he had no idea what the cleanup project might ultimately cost or what obstacles might be encountered, but indicated that work would begin this month. The schedule, as of this week, gives top priority to a number of sandbars, which can obstruct water flow and lead to flooding. A sandbar at the remains of a privately owned bridge near North Maple Avenue and Mulberry Street is listed as Priority 1. Other sandbars that will be addressed include those at the following locations: the East Glen Bridge, the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook bend near the Graydon Pool parking lot, the Linwood Avenue bridge, the North Parkway and Colonial Road area, the Spring Street area, the Ridgewood High School footbridge, the private footbridge at 18 Brookside Avenue, and the stream near the Arden Court dead end. Sandbars and large trees near 245 Sollas Court will also be addressed. Some large downed trees have also made the Priority 1 list. These trees include a cluster of 15-inch and 12-inch diameter trees and the resultant sandbar at North Maple Avenue near Brookmere, a 12-inch tree at 18 Brookside Avenue, a cluster of fallen trees and sinkholes near Brookside Field, and a six-inch tree across Ho-Ho-Kus Brook near Arden Court. Most of the Priority 2 items include smaller trees or larger branches down in the stream. Branches under the footbridge at Veterans Field are considered Priority 2 items, along with smaller trees on both sides of the Meadowbrook bridge, branches and smaller trees at Hawthorne Place, five (continued on page 17)